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The invention of the steam engine and the growing use of steam boilers for steam supply during
industrialization lead to the necessity to protect life and property from explosions.
The early and simple safety valves used a weight to hold the pressure of the steam, however, they
were easily tampered with or accidentally released. In 1856 John Ramsbottom invented a tamper-
proof spring loaded safety valve which became universal on railways and later on stationary
installations.
Only 30 years later in 1885 LESER presented its first safety valve and since then remains the safety
valve manufacturer with the longest history.
Spring loaded safety valves are still the most commonly used type of safety valve. Pilot operated
safety valves and controlled safety valves were developed in the second half of the last century
mainly to increase the operating pressure and improve the efficiency of the protected equipment.
Then followed designs for specific applications, like aggressive chemicals or pharmaceuticals.
In 1880 the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) was founded in response to
numerous failures of steam boiler pressure vessels. Today the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel
Code (BPVC) regulates the certification of pressure relief devices and is probably the most frequently
applied code for safety valves worldwide.
In 1919, The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors (NB) was founded and since
1921 the NB provides assurance that a pressure-retaining item is constructed in accordance with an
acceptable standard and that it was inspected by a qualified National Board commissioned inspector.
A safety valve is a safety device and in many cases the last line of defense. It is important to ensure
that the safety valve is capable to operate at all times and under all circumstances.
A safety valve is not a process valve or pressure regulator and should not be misused as such.
It should have to operate for one purpose only: overpressure protection.
Nozzle
Fs
p < pset
Valve Closed (p < pset)
Fp < Fs
Fs = Spring force
Fp = p*As = Force by pressure
where
As = Seat area affected by pressure p
FP
Seat area
Fs
Fs = Spring Force
Fp = p*As = Force by pressure
Fp where
FP As = seat area affected by pressure p
Seat area
The pressure below the valve must increase above the set pressure before the safety valve reaches
a noticeable lift. As a result of the restriction of flow between the disc and the adjusting ring, pressure
builds up in the so called huddling chamber. The pressure now acts on an enlarged disc area. This
increases the force Fp so that the additional spring force required to further compress the spring is
overcome. The valve will open rapidly with a “pop”, in most cases to its full lift.
Overpressure is the pressure increase above the set pressure necessary for the safety valve to
achieve full lift and capacity. The overpressure is usually expressed as a percentage of the set
pressure. Codes and standards provide limits for the maximum overpressure. A typical value is 10%,
ranging between 3% and 21% depending on the code and application.
Huddling chamber
Fp
Enlarged disc area
Blowdown is the difference between set pressure and reseating pressure of a safety valve expressed
as a percentage of set pressure. Typical blowdown values as defined in codes and standards are
-7% and -10%, ranging from -4% to -20% depending on the code and service (steam, gas or liquid).
Maximum
Maximum Allowable
Allowable Accumulation
lift [%]
Working Pressure
Pressure single valve
100
relieving pressure
80
60
operating
pressure
40
popping pressure
20
reseating pressure
set pressure Max.
proportional
lift range
0 vessel
82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108 110 121 pressure
[%]
Max. blowdown Max. overpressure
Figure 1.5.4-1: Operation of a Series 526 API safety valve with adjusting ring and initial audible discharge set
pressure definition
It is important to understand that the operating pressure of the protected equipment should remain
below the reseating pressure of the valve. Most manufacturers and codes and standards recommend
a difference of 3 – 5% between reseating pressure and operating pressure to allow proper reseating
of the valve and achieve good seat tightness again.